Beverley Callard opens up about her struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts

Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard opened up about her depression

on This Morning, adding that her psychiatrist is sure she is bipolar.

The 59-year-old actress, best known for playing Liz McDonald in Coronation Street, opened up to hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, saying: ‘My psychiatrist at present, he is almost 100% convinced that I’m bipolar II – which I’d never heard of before. This has only happened in the last 4 weeks.’

Beverley then explained the condition, saying: ‘I don’t get these amazing highs and hallucinations where I would think I’m the second coming but I get the tremendous lows.’

The actress was signed off work in March after her depression returned when her repeat prescription was stopped.

Beverley spoke openly about her history of depression, including her feelings of suicide during the worst time of her illness.

Sharethrough (Mobile)

She said: ‘I was completely suicidal and I couldn’t leave the house. I could barely leave the bedroom to be honest. You don’t take phone calls. You don’t do anything. And you do think you’re not going to get better, but the point I must stress is you do get better.’

Beverley admitted she has been improving since her relapse. Now taking different medication and practising mindfulness, she admitted ‘I’m now much more even and relaxed’.

The actress has been very open about her condition and previously spoke about it on Twitter to update fans. In April she told her 61.6K followers that she had ‘had a good day’ and that things were ‘on the up!’ She then went on to say, ‘Thank you for being there!!!!! X’

Had a good day today, things are on the up! Thank you for being there!!!!! X

Earlier this month Beverley revealed to her followers that she had been ‘battling the demons of depression’ in an emotional statement.

The tweet also uncovered that she was having problems finding medication to manage her depression, saying, ‘One of the meds I’m on, has been stopped by pharmaceutical company, apparently it doesn’t make money.’

Been battling the demons of depression! One of the meds I'm on, has been stopped by pharmaceutical company, apparently it doesn't make money

Messages of support were quick to flood in from fans and well wishers. One follower, ‏@X_BadBlood_x said, ‘eurgh this makes me so mad! My mum battles with this took ages to get the right meds! Shouldn’t be about money! Stay strong,’ while @MrShaneTelford said, ‘remember the good old days when medicine was about making people better… not money!’

A couple of minutes after her first tweet Beverley went on to thank fans for their support, saying, ‘I’m getting there!!!! Thanks so much for all your good wishes xxxx’

Beverley has spoken about her mental illness before, revealing in an interview with Piers Morgan in 2014 that she had previously considered suicide.

Beverley as her character Liz

‘I tried maybe half a dozen times, but it wasn’t a cry for help at all. I’d known for quite a while that I wasn’t myself, but I didn’t really know what to do about it,’ she said.

Video of the Week

Continuing, she went on to say, ‘I was going to work and I was still filming and I didn’t really talk to anyone about it and on that day they took me into The Priory in the early hours of the next morning and John said, and my doctor said, I looked like a 100-year-old woman. They tried different medications but none of them seemed to work.’